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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — the underground
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com